Maud Lake in Oneida County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Oneida County end of Wisconsin holds Maud Lake. The setting is pine and birch. It runs to roughly 66 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The bank runs about 2.0 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. For supplies, Rhinelander is 8.2 miles out. After that come Tomahawk at 17 miles and Eagle River at 22 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Maud Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Oneida County include brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass and northern pike. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Maud Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 10°F to 66°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Expect Maud Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Elna Lake, 0.4 miles away. Where Maud Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.